章節 8: Neat and Tidy
編輯: Atlas Studios
At noon, it was windy and rainy on the riverbank.
A few empty ships were docked at the port, and there were few people at the port market. Occasionally, shouts sounded from brothels and wine shops.
"Come and drink…"
"B-b-big… Ahhh~"
…
Most of the buildings in the market were old, but there was a manor next to the river bank. It was hidden among the trees, and only the eaves and blue tiles were visible from the port.
The manor was called Blue Lotus Villa. It was the private residence of a magnate in the capital. They would only stay here for a few days in the hot summer. Usually, it was left to the 'guards' to manage and watch the business at the port. This was where the name 'Blue Lotus Gang' came from.
Although it was called the Blue Lotus Gang, it had nothing to do with the gangs of Jianghu. Among them, only the gang leader, Yang Guan, was considered a member of Jianghu. The others were all local hooligans, totaling about a hundred people.
Yang Guan had studied martial arts in Wu Province's Three Absolutes Valley since he was a child. His skills were not bad. After taking root in the capital, he relied on his connections to settle the local tyrants at the port in just a few months and monopolized River Shore Wharf. Recently, he even extended his hand into the capital, hoping to expand his business.
Most of the families that could do business in the capital were backed by powerful forces, who were either rich or noble. The streets and alleys without any background had long been occupied by local tyrants.
After searching for a long time, Yang Guan discovered that Heavenly Water Bridge was very clean!
The few merchants led by the Pei family had money, but no one in the family was an official, and there were no other local tyrants fighting for territory nearby.
Yang Guan naturally wouldn't be polite with such a big fat sheep. He had been 'communicating' with merchants this month to try to gain a firm foothold in Heavenly Water Bridge.
Yang Guan's ambition was undoubtedly great, but the consequences would be immediate.
At noon, in the Blue Lotus Villa, Yang Guan, who was wearing an official's robe, spoke confidently in the drawing room.
"Third Lady Pei of Heavenly Water Bridge really doesn't give me any face. I sent an invitation twice, but she didn't show her face. We will just sit down to drink tea and chat. It's not like I'm greedy for her beauty…"
"Sigh, Third Lady Pei has a stubborn temper, and she has some ties with the government. The nearby businesses all depend on her. We want to ask Landlord Yang to send some people to help chase away the troublemakers. It's a good thing, but since the Pei family doesn't agree, it's really not easy for us to make a decision…"
…
The few big bosses were all wealthy merchants in the neighborhood of Heavenly Water Bridge. The merchant families didn't dare to offend a local tyrant like Yang Guan. They just tactfully pushed the matter to the Pei family, who was not present. If the Pei family couldn't withstand it, then they would have to give this 'hard-earned money'.
Yang Guan didn't know why the woman of the Pei family was so stubborn. He wanted to use both kindness and force to get a few bosses to pass the message on his behalf.
Suddenly, a shout came from outside. "Gang Leader, Gang Leader!"
The people in the drawing room looked outside the door.
Yang Guan slammed his teacup on the table. "How many times have I told you to call me boss?"
The man with a saber ran in from outside the drawing room and came in panting. "Boss, there's a guest here. Escort Head Chen from Heavenly Water Bridge is driving. He said that it's the eldest young master of the Pei family…"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, the merchants were stunned.
The eldest young master of the Pei family, Pei Luo, was quite famous. Because he was the only heir of the Pei family, the Pei family had indulged him since he was a child. He spent his days drinking and not doing anything serious. He was a well-known prodigal son in the area.
Yang Guan had obviously heard of the reputation of Young Master Pei. His eyes revealed surprise. "Third Lady Pei didn't come personally and let such a profligate son come to my door. Is she being perfunctory with me? Let him in."
Seeing this, the merchants stood up. "Then, we'll take our leave first. Landlord Yang, take your time to chat with Young Master Pei. After you're done, please send someone to inform us."
Yang Guan served tea and sent the guests off. He sat at the end of the drawing room and waited.
Clomp, clomp, clomp!
Soon, dense footsteps sounded from the corridor outside the courtyard.
As a servant raised his hand to lead the way, a black-robed young master strode in. He was tall, had a stern expression, and his aura was extraordinary.
Chen Biao, who was somewhat famous in Heavenly Water Bridge, was holding an umbrella over the black-robed young master, his attitude rather flattering.
Behind him were five escorts. The old man in the lead was holding a long saber with a black sheath.
Yang Guan raised his eyebrows. He felt that the person who came wasn't an idle dandy and put down his teacup.
The few wealthy merchants who had just walked out of the door had heard about the incident at the Zhenyuan Escort Agency yesterday. They guessed that this unfamiliar young master was the ruthless person who had arrived yesterday.
They immediately stopped in their tracks and cupped their hands in greeting. "Young Master, you're unfamiliar. Are you the eldest young master of the Pei family?"
Ye Jingtang didn't respond. He strode up the steps, took the saber from Yang Chao, and directly entered the door.
Slam!
The door was closed, shutting the bewildered crowd outside.
Chen Biao almost hit his nose on the door. Just as he was about to ask the young master what he was doing, he heard a sound coming from inside the room.
Clang!
It was the sound of a saber being drawn!
In the room, Yang Guan, who was sitting in the main seat, realized that something was wrong. He moved his hand and reached for the single-edged broadsword placed on the shelf behind him.
At the same time, Ye Jingtang suddenly rushed forward, unsheathed his saber in midair, and slashed at Yang Guan's head.
Swoosh!
The blade flashed in the drawing room.
Yang Guan's skills were not bad. In the blink of an eye, he raised his broadsword horizontally in front of him. But the difference in their explosive power was too great. Just as he raised his hand, the heavy saber smashed his broadsword into his chest, crushing the armchair he was sitting on.
Clatter!
"You—" Yang Guan fell to the floor and was about to rebuke him angrily when he found that the boy in front of him wanted to kill him. In the blink of an eye, the saber was stabbing at his heart.
Yang Guan's hair stood on end. The skills he had learned since he was a child were brought to full play at this moment. He stomped on the floor with both feet and forcefully widened the distance between him and the blade. At the same time, he raised his broadsword and fought back.
Dang!
The blades collided again.
Yang Guan's broadsword slashed out, but it didn't hurt his opponent at all. Instead, he was struck back by the other party's tremendous force. The lacquered wood shelf behind his back was immediately smashed, and he fell out of the door behind him.
"Cough!"
Yang Guan fell into the rain in the courtyard behind him. He let out a muffled cough and rolled to the side with all his might before he could look ahead.
As he expected, the next moment, the saber slashed at the spot where he had landed and pierced several inches into the stone.
"You—" Yang Guan scrambled to his feet and raised his broadsword in anger. He wanted to speak, but the expressionless young man pulled out his saber and walked over unhurriedly. He even cracked his neck. His eyes were not fierce but instead showed the calmness of familiarity.
Yang Guan was horrified. He couldn't tell anything else, only that this kid had definitely killed before.
He held his broadsword with both hands and roared angrily. He seemed to want to rush forward, but his feet moved to the back of the courtyard. After taking a few steps, he ran to the backyard and shouted, "Men, come here! Where the f*ck is everyone?!"
Clang!
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, a bone-chilling wind came from behind him.
Yang Guan's skills were not bad. With a backhand slash, he accurately blocked the blade slashing at him. But his body couldn't withstand the immense force, and he was directly struck to the ground. The broadsword was also shaken out of his hand.
Clang!
Yang Guan didn't have time to care about his weapon. He got up and wanted to run to the back of the house, but this time, he didn't have a chance. Just as he got up, the back of his head sank. Just as his boots stepped on the wet limestone tiles, a cold light fell in front of him.
Crack!
"Young Hero, wait! Spare me—"
Accompanied by the pitter-patter of rain, a heart-wrenching cry came from the elegant courtyard.
Ye Jingtang stood quietly in the rain, stepping on the left side of Yang Guan's face. The blade was stuck in front of his eyes. He looked at the edge of the blade that was a few centimeters away from him, and only then did some blood return to his face.
"You sent a message to the Pei family and asked someone to come over to discuss something? What do you want to discuss? Tell me."
Yang Guan's face was contorted, but he wasn't angry at all. He just stared at the blade in front of him. "Misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding. I was blinded by greed. I didn't know that you were from the Pei family. This is the capital. It's not easy to explain if someone dies. Young Hero, don't be impulsive…"
"I heard that you're a disciple of the Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal. Your skills don't seem like it."
?
Yang Guan didn't expect this kid to know who his master was, but he didn't dare to be arrogant now. He hurriedly explained, "I'm an honorary disciple. My family has some ties with my master. I went to his home to learn for a few years, but I didn't learn anything. I've embarrassed myself and made you laugh, Young Hero…"
"For the sake of your master's reputation, I'll spare your life."
"Thank you for your kindness, Young Hero. Ah—!"
Before Yang Guan could finish speaking, he screamed.
Ye Jiantang pulled out the saber and stabbed it into his right arm, nailing it into a limestone tile.
Yang Guan's face distorted as he looked at Ye Jingtang, his eyes full of fear, unable to speak at all.
"This stab is because I'm afraid that you think I won't dare to do it. I may not be able to kill your master, but it's really effortless to kill you. Goodbye."
Crack!
Ye Jingtang pulled out his saber, wiped the bloody blade on Yang Guan's clothes, sheathed the saber, and turned to walk to the drawing room.
Yang Guan clenched his teeth, covered his bleeding right arm, and got up. He didn't dare to cry out in pain as he watched Ye Jingtang leave.
Squeak!
The front door of the drawing room opened.
In the courtyard outside, there were dozens of hooligans holding iron weapons. Yang Chao, Chen Biao, and the other escorts held their sabers and guarded the door.
The few wealthy merchants stood outside the courtyard with astonished expressions.
Ye Jingtang closed the door and threw his saber to Yang Chao. He took the umbrella and held it above his head. "It's over. Let's go."
"So fast…" Chen Biao muttered in a low voice, but he didn't ask what had happened. After all, everyone outside could hear the noises and miserable cries coming from inside. Even a fool knew to keep their mouth shut.
The thugs in the courtyard didn't dare to stop them when they saw that the gang leader didn't show up. They all made way for them in the rain.
The wealthy merchants didn't know if this young man from the Pei family had directly killed Yang Guan, so they didn't dare to speak.
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
The huge manor was utterly silent. Only the black umbrella was floating out of the alley between the white walls and blue tiles at a leisurely pace.
It wasn't until the carriage left that there was a commotion in the courtyard again.
"Gang Leader? Gang Leader, are you alright? How dare this lunatic… Let's report this to the officials…"
"Get lost! You trash… Report to the officials…"
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